How to read a Chinese stone quotation
Most confusion over a stone quote is not language, it is missing lines. Run it through unit, waste, processing, packing, Incoterm, payment and abbreviations, and you will know whether it is worth comparing.
Why check the unit first?
Some quotes are USD per square metre, some USD per square foot, and the difference is more than tenfold — one square metre is about 10.764 square feet. Others quote per piece or per pallet. Without a common unit you cannot compare, and you may read the expensive one as cheap. Convert everything to one unit before looking at the number.
Is waste included in the unit price?
Both conventions exist: priced on finished net area with waste absorbed into the rate, or priced on block consumption with waste billed separately. The first is simpler; the second can be cheaper for shaped work. Ask one direct question: if I order 100 square metres, how many square metres am I actually paying for. That single question surfaces a lot that is otherwise buried.
Are finishes and edge profiles included or itemised?
Polished, flamed, bush-hammered, sandblasted and brushed are different processes; chamfer, groove, edge polishing, backing mesh and six-side sealer are others again. Ask item by item whether each is inside the unit price, instead of asking vaguely whether processing is included. Anything unlisted defaults to the minimum and is hard to argue about after arrival.
What makes packing cost clear?
Three things: crate or pallet, how many square metres or tonnes per pallet, and whether the pallet charge sits inside the unit price or on its own line. Export wood packaging must be fumigated and carry the ISPM 15 mark; if it is not mentioned, cargo can be held at destination. Also ask whether voids in the container are filled and who pays for that.
How specific must the Incoterm be?
FOB alone is not enough — write FOB plus the named port, because local charges differ meaningfully between ports. CIF needs a named destination port and an insured amount. EXW needs the factory address and who is responsible for loading. An Incoterm without a place name is not an Incoterm.
How should payment and delivery be written?
Payment needs nodes: how much deposit, against what document the balance is paid, and what proportion it is. Delivery needs a starting point — counted from deposit receipt or from sample approval, which can differ by weeks. Add what happens if delivery slips, otherwise the delivery date is only a wish.
What do the common abbreviations mean?
FOB free on board at the port of loading, CIF cost insurance and freight, CNF cost and freight, EXW ex works; T/T telegraphic transfer, L/C letter of credit, D/P documents against payment; MOQ minimum order quantity, SQM square metre, PC piece, SQFT square foot, ISPM 15 the fumigation standard for wood packaging. If you do not know an abbreviation, ask before signing rather than guessing.